Sparks Electrical News October 2017

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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ALIVE WITH POWER FOR 50 YEARS

Aligning with its goal to constantly grow and improve its product offering, Alvern Cables has marked its 50 th birthday with a range of new products, which includes: • AL-VK (RV-K) trailing cable – the only locally manufactured trailing cable with polyethylene cores. • Split neutral and earth concentric cables. • Concentric neutral with and without pilot cores for power supply to low cost developments. Blasting wire Alvern Cables is adept at manufacturing cables but also has a successful distribution division that buys and stocks premium quality cables and brands it does not manufacture. With renewables being the buzz word in the industry,

ALVERN CABLES was established in 1967 by AE Hendey, V Higham and PG Wiggin. Strug- gling to get the cables they required for signalling purposes in the railway industry, they decided to manufacture the required cable themselves. Ow- ing to the downturn in the railway sector, the then parent company SA Signals was superseded by Alvern Cables. From these humble beginnings, Alvern Cables has grown into a cable manufacturer that employs nearly 300 people. It has a manufacturing plant based in Knights, Gauteng, where the best virgin grade materials are used to manufacture a wide range of high end, low voltage electrical copper ca- bles. The products are then distributed to branches in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, or to its export division. E lectroMechanica (EM) has introduced the Econo range of ergonomic plugs and sock- ets from SCAME Electrical Solutions of Italy. The plugs and sockets are built from robust and durable materials to ensure a longer lifespan and the main focus is on ensuring reliable and safe operation due to innovative, class-leading features that promote ease of use, says EM sales and mar- keting director Richard Nobbs. “This is a much-anticipated range for our whole- sale distribution channel and the roll-out covers the broader South African market,” says Nobbs. He adds that the new range will benefit industry in general and OEMs in particular. SCAME Electrical Solutions has a wide product offering and end users are guaranteed of receiving European quality at a local price. As with all prod- ucts in the EM stable, full technical and back-up

From power to electronic/automation, Alvern Cables has a wide range of readily available prod- ucts and solutions, making it a one stop cable shop. 50 years of excellent service, quality and com- petitive pricing make Alvern Cables a valued cable solutions provider. Enquiries: +27 (0)11 822 0917

it stocks the new H1Z2Z2-K solar specification at a competitive cost. Other products include Cat cables, RG cables, Aluminium cables, and Braided and Rubber cables. This area of the business has recently been expanded under the instrumentation, control and specialised (ICS) umbrella to include instrumentation and control.

ELECTROMECHANICA INTRODUCES ERGONOMIC PLUG-AND-SOCKET RANGE

MAGNET’S 45 YEARS OF BUSINESS I t’s been 45 years since Magnet was established in Durban, as a team of ten, supplying copper wire and heating elements.

support is readily available,. The launch of the Econo range follows the re- cent introduction of the Optima-Top and Xenia series of electrical components from SCAME Electrical Solutions. They comply with latest Euro- pean Union (EU) directives, such as the low voltage directive 2014/35/EU, for electrical components.

TheMagnet Group now comprises four divisions – Magnet Electrical Supplies, Magnet Electrical Projects, Magnet Energy and Magnol Electrical Contractors – which provide comprehensive electrical solutions, including design, supply, automation, installation and commissioning. “Through a carefully structured expansion programme, new products are launched to meet exact market demands and innovative services are introduced through the company’s specialist divisions,” says BrianHowarth,managing director, Magnet. “An exciting development for Magnet has been in energy efficiency and energy saving project management. These services contribute significantly to the reduction of wasted energy in industrial and commercial sectors throughout the country. Apart from lighting solutions, Magnet’s energy saving service incorporates metering, hot water systems, air-conditioning

Enquiries: www.em.co.za

controls and solar systems. Magnet is committed to sustainable develop- ment and instils in its team a responsibility for health, safety, the environment, and local com- munities. Through Magnet’s technical expertise, a vast range of quality branded products and a 24-hour skilled support service, the company continues to make a positive contribution to the South African economy.

Enquiries: +27 (0)31 274 1998

MITIGATING LIGHTNING STRIKE RISK FOR THATCHED ROOF STRUCTURES DEHN Africa’s high voltage resistant insulated (HVI) lightning protection system, which is compact and more aes- thetically pleasing than the traditional 30 m mast, offers external protection for thatched buildings. Kirk Risch, sales and marketing director at DEHN Africa, says that with the company’s alternative lightning pro- tection option, the vulnerability of a thatched roof to lightning strikes is substantially mitigated, without having to erect the typical mast we are so used to seeing in South Africa. DEHN Africa can assist home and business owners to enjoy the aesthetics provided by a thatched roof structure, while knowing that they can avoid lightning-related disasters through the provision of LPS components for use specifically on thatched roofs. “The LPS is easy to install on new constructions and simple to convert for existing structures that previously relied on the traditional lightning rod,” Risch concludes.

Enquiries: www.dehn-africa.com

PORTABLE LABEL PRINTER FOR CUSTOM LABELLING T he BMP61 label printer from Brady is a useful tool for those working in market sectors that use a sizeable number of cables that require labelling,

such as the electrical, power, telecom and ICT industries. The BMP61 printer targets installers, field technicians, maintenance technicians, site managers and electrical contractors, as well as workers in cabling, control panel and switchgear manufacturing or cable harness assem- bly. Using high-performance materials that can handle tough industrial identification applications, the printer is fast and portable, making it suitable for use on site or in the field. The printer is capable of high-performance printing on a wide range of durable labels and is capable of handling a range of identification challenges owing to its wireless connectivity. It is particularly suitable for applications such as the identification of outdoor cables of various sizes and main electrical components in the field or within facilities. In addition, it can be used to replace engraved plates that

identify components with printable labels that are virtu- ally identical to engraved plates. The printer is available from RS Components along with consumables and labels for the BMP61, including engraved plate alternative labels in a range of sizes and personalised custom labels.

Enquiries: za.rs-online.com

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

OCTOBER 2017